Device for setting up folding box sections

ABSTRACT

A flat cardboard blank is provided with score lines along which it is to be bent in known fashion into a box, by being conveyed to a folding station where conventional equipment effects the setting up of the box. To prevent the equipment from being jammed by a deformed blank or to permit an acceptable box to be formed from such a deformed blank, the blank is acted upon intermediate its edges either by suction or by compressed air which act upon one or both surfaces and hold the blank in the desired planar configuration. A supplementary conveyor may also be provided to guide and support the blank intermediate its edges, the supplementary conveyor being foraminous so the suction or compressed air can act therethrough.

[ Sept. 2, 1975 1 DEVICE FOR SETTING UP FOLDING BOX SECTIONS [75]Inventor: Willi Trosdorff, Dusseldorf,

Germany [73] Assignee: Jagenberg Werke AG, Dusseldorf,

Germany 22 Filed: Aug. 7, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 278,698

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 66,975, Aug.26, 1970,

3,084,640 4/1963 Hayes et a1. 269/21 X 3,288,037 11/1966 Burnett 93/52UX 3,456,563 7/1969 Rocsner et al 93/55 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,207,778 12/1965 Germany 93/55 Primary Examiner-J. M. M'eisterAssistant Examiner-Le0n Gilden Attorney, Agent, or F irm-Burgess,Dinklage & Sprung [57] ABSTRACT A flat cardboard blank is provided withscore lines along which it is to be bent in known fashion into a box, bybeing conveyed to a folding station where conventional equipment effectsthe setting up of the box. To prevent the equipment from being jammed bya deformed blank or to permit an acceptable box to be formed from such adeformed blank, the blank is acted upon intermediate its edges either bysuction or by compressed air which act upon one or both surfaces andhold the blank in the desired planar configuration. A supplementaryconveyor may also be provided to guide and support the blankintermediate its edges, the supplementary conveyor being foraminous sothe suction or compressed air can act therethrough.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures In the fabricationof boxes-special means arerequired for setting up and folding the flaps of the sections movingthrough a folding box pasting machine. The pro-,

cessing of plane-surface sections presents no difficulties. When,however, sections are processed which through bad shipping or storingconditions or through moisture have experienced curvatures orundulations, smooth mechanical setting up of the flaps by means ofsetting-up tools presents difficulties. The thereby resulting damage tothe section may lead to unacceptable boxes, to interruptions in theworking processs or even stoppage of the machine.

The hitherto known procedure for processing the sections smoothlyconsisted in leveling the section in a smoothing device or by hand priorto insertion into the machine.

Aside from the additional expenditure in work occasioned thereby itsometimes happened that a section during its processing reassumed itsoriginal position and thereby caused work interruptions.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a process andapparatus for effecting the smooth setting up or folding of box blanksnotwithstanding the presence of minor deformations.

This and other objects and advantages are realized in accordance withthe present invention which provides pneumatic means for bringing thebody of the box blank into planar condition prior to setting up, suchpneumatic means involving either suction or compressed air.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lateral elevation of a first embodiment in accordance withthe invention, with a portion shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a section through the apparatus of FIG. 1 along line 22showing how the novel suction device acts;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;and

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment wherein the stationary suction box isenclosed by a rotating conveyor belt.

As seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, each edge of a cardboard box 6, comprising abody 611 and flaps 6b joined or hinged thereto along score lines, isgripped between an upper and lower conveyor 2 and transported thereby toa folding station or area where the flaps 6b are displaced in knownfashion to set up or form a box. While moving along, the blank 6 movesover a suction chamber 1 which is fastened between conveyor belts 2 inan adjustable mounting support (not shown). By means of a line 3, thesuction chamber 1 is connected with a source of vacuum (not shown), suchas a vacuum pump. The upper side of suction chamber 1 is provided withopenings 4. To prevent sudden impacts or collisions and therewithconnected shifting of section 6 between the conveyor belts 2, thesuction chamber ]1 is provided with a ramp-like bevel 5. By means of theconveyor belts 2 the sections 6 are brought in a continuous manner intothe range of conventional folding tools 7 and 8. I

The manner of operation of the device is as follows: The box blanks 6coming from a stamping device (not shown) are moved forward by theconveyor belts 2 over the suction device 1. Due to the vaccum in suctiondevice I a deformed portion 6a, shown in phantom in FIG..2, is sucked inand thereby smoothed. The flattened section 6a, while still held bysuction, is moved into the range of folding tools 7 and 8, where theactual folding process takes place.

In FIG. 4 there is shown an alternative device in which the blank 6 issupported. and guided in its central or intermediate portion as well asalong its edges. To this end an endless belt 9 is trained over rolls 10which drive belt 9 at the same speed as belts 2. The suction chamber 1is positioned between the runs of the belt 9 which belt is foraminous orperforated so the suction acts through the belt without interference.

In place of suction to flatten the box blanks, compressed air can besimilarly used except that in such case a back up will be required tosupport the surface of the blank opposite that on which the air acts.For example, the belt 9 could serve such function, replacing the suctionchamber 1 by a plenum chamber discharging pressurized air from above thebox blank 6.

If desired suction or compressed air blasts can operate on both surfacesof the blank simultaneously.

In this manner scored box blanks can be processed through foldingmachinery smoothly notwithstanding minor deformations.

It will be appreciated that the instant specification and examples areset forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that variousmodifications and changes may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for the formation of a box from a flat blank whereinthe blank, provided with score lines, is conveyed to a station and thereacted upon by folding means, including a pair of laterally disposedconveyor means each engaging and conveying a respective edge of a scoredbox blank so as to move said blank to a predetermined station, andfolding means for acting on said blank to form it into a box, theimprovement which comprises means for forcing only a portion of saidblank into a planar condition while guiding and sup porting said blankat its edges while at said station by a foraminous member, said meansproviding free mobility of the forwardly and rearwardly disposedsections of the scored box blank to be raised during folding thereof,folding means operated by pneumatic means to act exclusively upon thecentral area of the box blank by suction or by compressed air, saidlaterally disposed conveyor means positioned to act upon the top andbottom of the blank plane, means for folding over the forwardly andrearwardly disposed sections of the blank to be raised at the scoredlines perpendicularly to the advance direction. of the blank and meansfor raising said forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections unaffectedby the action of suction or compressed air, said laterally disposedconveyor means, laterally spaced apart from one another to define thelateral sides of said area, each of said pair of conveyor meansincluding a pair of conveyors acting on top and on bottom of arespective edge of said blank so as to grip said to act upon theintermediate portion of said blank while said blank is at said station,said supplementary conveyor means moving at the same speed as said pairof conveying means and being provided with a foraminous surface where itcontacts said blank, whereby the suction is effected through saidsupplementary conveying means, said pneumatically acting meanscomprising a suction chamber positioned so as to pull the intermediateportion of said blank into the same plane as said edges.

1. In an apparatus for the formation of a box from a flat blank whereinthe blank, provided with score lines, is conveyed to a station and thereacted upon by folding means, including a pair of laterally disposedconveyor means each engaging and conveying a respective edge of a scoredbox blank so as to move said blank to a predetermined station, andfolding means for acting on said blank to form it into a box, theimprovement which comprises means for forcing only a portion of saidblank into a planar condition while guiding and supporting said blank atits edges while at said station by a foraminous member, said meansproviding free mobility of the forwardly and rearwardly disposedsections of the scored box blank to be raised during folding thereof,folding means operated by pneumatic means to act exclusively upon thecentral area of the box blank by suction or by compressed air, saidlaterally disposed conveyor means positioned to act upon the top andbottom of the blank plane, means for folding over the forwardly andrearwardly disposed sections of the blank to be raised at the scoredlines perpendicularly to the advance direction of the blank and meansfor raising said forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections unaffectedby the action of suction or compressed air, said laterally disposedconveyor means, laterally spaced apart from one another to define thelateral sides of said area, each of said pair of conveyor meansincluding a pair of conveyors acting on top and oN bottom of arespective edge of said blank so as to grip said edge therebetween, saidarea being free of conveyor means and being one in which a portion ofsaid blank which is not to be folded can lie, said means for raisingsaid forwardly and rearwardly disposed sections being disposed betweenthe laterally disposed conveyor means forwardly and rearwardly of saidzone, whereby only a portion of said blank is maintained flat duringfolding, any deformation in said blank being removed at leasttemporarily by the pneumatic action said apparatus further including asupplementary conveyor means positioned between said pair of conveyormeans to act upon the intermediate portion of said blank while saidblank is at said station, said supplementary conveyor means moving atthe same speed as said pair of conveying means and being provided with aforaminous surface where it contacts said blank, whereby the suction iseffected through said supplementary conveying means, said pneumaticallyacting means comprising a suction chamber positioned so as to pull theintermediate portion of said blank into the same plane as said edges.